40 in 40: Ariel Miranda’s Original Series “Splanger Things”

In a rotation plagued by countless injuries, first half Ariel Miranda was invaluable for the Mariners. Through June, Miranda boasted a 3.82 ERA and seemed to be hitting his stride. He had pitched seven or more innings in four of his past six starts.

The summer was another story for the Cuban lefty, as his ERA skyrocketed to 6.91 over the second half, while his FIP concurrently jumped to 6.62.

What caused the jump? It was the dingers. It was lots of the dingers. Miranda’s propensity to surrender lots of fly balls naturally left him subject to big flies, but his 2.73 HR/9 over the season’s second half was prodigious. How bad was Ariel Miranda’s home run problem? Since 1871, there have only been…